


To Be Scared by an Owl

by wallflowerwriting



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-04 04:51:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15834105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallflowerwriting/pseuds/wallflowerwriting
Summary: Told in alternating chapters between Chloe and Max. Chloe, Max, and Rachel are students at Blackwell College. When famous photographer Mark Jefferson starts as a professor, Rachel sees him as an opportunity for her modeling career but Chloe only sees trouble for their relationship. Max is equally interested in Jefferson from a photographer’s perspective. When Kate Marsh, Max’s old friend and Jefferson’s latest model, turns up dead, Chloe and Max begin to investigate.





	To Be Scared by an Owl

Chloe stared at the same picture for fifteen minutes and was no closer to understanding what it meant. She came to this art opening partly to support her best friend Max, who for the first time was having her work displayed in a show, but mostly she came because Rachel begged her. Some professor was supposed to be here who had previously been a bigwig photographer. Rachel wanted to meet him; Rachel wanted to be his model. She had shown Chloe his picture when the student newspaper wrote a piece on him at the beginning of the semester. It was a serious picture. He stood, sleeves rolled up, glasses in one hand, and a photo negative in the other held close to his face, taken from the right angle so his face could still be seen. His brow was furrowed in deep thought. He looked like a pretentious douche to Chloe.

  
When she had tried to point this out to Rachel, Rachel had steamrolled right over the comment and went on and on about all his accomplishments. Chloe wasn’t sure if Rachel didn’t see it or didn’t want to because he could be good for her career. Chloe instantly didn’t like him though. Just looking at his picture gave her an uneasy feeling; she couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she met him in person. She also tried to talk to Max about him but Max was equally enamored with him. It was annoying. Chloe was thoroughly annoyed. Being abandoned at this gallery didn’t help, neither did the three glasses of champagne she had downed.

  
She was thinking about sneaking back to the dorm room she shared with Rachel. When the girl came back later that night, Chloe would feign a headache, a premature hangover, even though she knew Rachel could tell when she was lying. She was caught up in these thoughts, still staring blankly at the same picture, when a hand spun her around. Chloe came face to face with none other than Rachel Amber, herself. Her smile was dazzling. She looked beautiful and the surprise made it feel as if Chloe was seeing her for the first time all over again. In that instant, Chloe was glad Rachel stopped her before she left, if only so she could see her like this, confidant, glowing, happy, her angel.

  
“Chloe! I’m so happy I found you.” Rachel grabbed her shoulders and hugged her quickly, much more of a brief touching together of their chests than a real hug. It was how Rachel greeted acquaintances. Chloe felt stung. “This is Mark Jefferson.” Rachel raised her hands in a ta-dah gesture. The uneasy feeling Chloe had when she looked at his picture was intensified by seeing him in person.

  
“Nice to meet you, Chloe.” The way he said her name was like a question even though Rachel had just said it.

  
“Yeah same.” She replied and he reached out a hand to shake; it was cold, doctor-like, and the contact sent a slight shiver down her back. Rachel elbowed her subtly at her lack of enthusiastic response. “So Rachel has told me a lot about you. She’s been showing me your photos nonstop.” Trying to put her personal feelings aside, Chloe figured she should try to act interested for her girlfriend’s benefit.

  
“I do have quite an impressive portfolio, don’t I.” He winked at Rachel good-naturedly, which elicited a giggle from the girl. The whole exchange made Chloe want to punch his smug face. “I’m sure Rachel has shown you my most recent work. Join us Kate.” A girl stepped out from where she had been standing obediently behind Jefferson. Chloe hadn’t even realized she had been there. “This is Kate Marsh. We have been working together for about six months now. Normally my interest in my subjects is much shorter lived but my photos proved just how nicely I’m able to capture Kate.” The girl smiled shyly at the floor. “In fact it was her decision to transfer to Blackwell this semester, that encouraged me to try my hand at teaching.”

  
“That’s…” Chloe started.

  
“Amazing.” Finished Rachel who shot a glance at Chloe. Chloe was going to say creepy.

  
“Right.” Chloe agreed and rolled her eyes. She thought no one noticed since Rachel and Jefferson immediately launched into some conversation about a specific photo but she realized Kate was watching her intently.

* * *

  
Monday morning Chloe found herself in Intro to Psychology. She loved the class despite the 8am start time. Putting her favorite classes early in the morning was a strategy she implemented to ensure she would make it out of bed. College afforded more choices for this than high school had. Senior year her first period class had been World History and there had been many days when she couldn’t be bothered to wake up for that. Most people would have opted not to take morning classes but with her on campus job eating up most of the afternoon, Chloe didn’t have a choice. She chugged from her travel mug of black coffee and noticed familiar eyes watching her.

  
Normally if she found someone staring at her, Chloe’s first response would be to flip them off but she recognized this person, Kate, the girl from the art show. Chloe offered a small wave and an uncertain smile. Kate’s eyes widened in an almost comical gesture as if Chloe really had flipped her off and turned her attention back to the professor.

  
After class, Chloe decided to approach the girl.

  
“Hey.” Chloe walked over and leaned against the table Kate was sitting at as everyone packed up their belongings.

  
“Hello.” Kate replied not lifting her head.

  
“Chloe.” Chloe said and realized maybe she should speak in actual sentences if she wanted a response from this girl. “We met at the show on Friday. You must be stoked that you didn’t have to give up your modeling because you wanted to attend college.”

  
“Yeah.” Kate was still unable to look at her.

  
“Unless you’re not because you were trying to get away from Jefferson.” Chloe hoped she came off nonchalant with the comment but it spooked Kate nonetheless.

  
“Why on Earth would I want to get away from him? He’s been great for me, to me. I’m nothing but grateful for Mark Jefferson.” She ranted as she messily stacked her papers and books. “I don’t know how you came to such a conclusion.” Her voice took on an indignant tone as she stood up and headed for the exit. Then she stopped and turned back to Chloe. They were the last two left in the room. “You won’t say that to anyone else right? Not Rachel or…Jefferson? I’m telling you it’s not true so there’s no reason to bring it up ever again to anyone, right?” Her voice was soft again and this time she met Chloe’s eyes. There was panic and fear in them.

  
“No of course I won’t say anything.” Chloe assured her. Kate nodded once slowly then left the room.

* * *

  
“Chloe, darling. I have news.” Rachel practically sang as she entered their dorm room.

  
The other girl seated at the desk however afforded her no attention. She continued to stare at a blank word document, head banging along to the music streaming from her headphones. Rachel rolled her eyes, then grabbed the headphones, pulling them off Chloe’s ears to sit around her neck.

  
“You’re home!” Chloe said with excitement, spinning around in her chair. She spread her arms in a hug me gesture and Rachel gladly complied straddling her girlfriend’s waist and cuddling into her neck.

  
“I missed you.” Rachel whispered.

  
“I missed you too. I feel like since the art show, I’ve barely seen you.” Chloe agreed wrapping her arms around Rachel.

  
“That’s what I wanted to tell you.” She pulled back, softness abandoned for the moment. “Professor Jefferson was so impressed with me at the show he wants me to model for him.”

  
Chloe’s smile fell off her face and her stomach turned at the thought.

  
“Already? Doesn’t he want to see your headshots or something?”

  
“Why would he need to see my headshots when he saw me in person in all my glory?”

  
“I thought you were more interested in acting anyway?” Chloe tried a different tactic.

  
“I am but this will be a good way to get my name out there. Chloe this is a good thing. Why can’t you be happy about this?”

  
Chloe debated whether or not to tell Rachel about her exchange with Kate despite telling her she wouldn’t. “Guy just seems like a creep is all. And his ‘captured subject’ Kate doesn’t seem all that happy.

  
“Kate is spoiled. She got comfortable being his focus for so long and now that his attention is starting to drift, she’s getting jealous.”

  
“You got all that from the two seconds you met her?”

  
“No. Professor Jefferson told me.”

  
“When was this?” Chloe thought back to Friday night. After Rachel had introduced them, Chloe never left her side. She heard every boring word they said to each other and they never brought up Kate’s name even when the girl wandered off.

  
“I met him for coffee earlier today. That’s how I got the news he wanted me to be his model.” Rachel gave Chloe a duh look like she should’ve assumed this.

  
“You should have told me.”

  
“I don’t need your permission.” Rachel’s voice hardened and she moved to get up but Chloe tightened her arms around her.

  
“That’s not what I’m saying. I just…” She trailed off not wanting to sound repetitive.

  
“Don’t like him.” Rachel finished for her. “But you have nothing to worry about.”

  
Chloe wanted to believe Rachel but between her bad vibes from Jefferson and the incident that happened with Frank in high school, she was finding it difficult.

“Besides I haven’t even told you the best part yet.” Rachel continued.

  
“Oh god. There’s more.” Chloe closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

  
“Yeah. Jefferson said the first shoot I would be involved with would be kind of sexy so he asked for a lap dance to see if I could be sexy.”

  
Chloe’s eyes snapped open.

  
“Kidding.” Rachel said an innocent smile on her face. “As if I would do that. Especially in the middle of the cafeteria.”

  
“You’re going to give me a heart attack.”

  
“Maybe it’ll be a fun heart attack. You know all my lap dances are saved for you.” Rachel wiggled her hips to emphasize this.

“I think you should remind me.” Chloe smirked.

  
Rachel quirked an eyebrow and got off her girlfriend. She started a playlist that was appropriately titled ‘For sexy times with Chloe’ the song choices were all Rachel but the title was totally Chloe. Rachel could feel Chloe’s eyes on her, the girl was practically radiating anticipation. Through all the years, all the times they’d been together, Rachel still saw the same excitement in Chloe’s face as if it were the first time again.

  
Chloe worshipped her. There were times when this scared Rachel, made her not trust herself. She could do anything and Chloe would forgive her. At times this devotion made her irrationally angry. It caused her to push the boundaries. Once it had almost ruined their relationship. She tried to keep it in check; she didn’t want to give it a second chance.

  
Rachel slowly unbuttoned her flannel enjoying the rapt attention with which Chloe’s eyes followed her fingers down to the last button. She continued on to undo her jeans.

  
“I asked for a lap dance not a strip tease.” Chloe said eyes never leaving Rachel’s hands as they pulled down her jeans.

  
“It’s hard to have one without the other when I’m wearing all these clothes.” Rachel tossed her jeans aside and walked toward Chloe. She bent forward and pressed a lingering kiss to Chloe’s lips as her hands pushed her legs apart. She felt Chloe’s breath catch when she turned around and brought her ass down on her girlfriend’s center.

  
Chloe brought her hands up to rest on Rachel’s hips but Rachel forcefully pushed them down to hold the chair instead.

  
“No, no, no, Ms. Price. No touching without permission.”

  
Chloe groaned at the denial and Rachel satisfied with this reaction brought Chloe’s hands up to caress her breasts. The contact caused a moan of her own to escape from Rachel and she decided that was enough teasing. She stood up and kept a hold of one of Chloe’s hands.

  
“Let’s go to bed.” She said pulling the other girl along with no resistance.

**Author's Note:**

> Any comments would be greatly appreciated!! Which parts did you like? Which didn't you like? Anything and everything helps me as I try to make my writing better. Next chapter will be up next Sunday. Thank you for taking the time to read.


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